SpiderMan 5
by SandwichesHinderProgress
Summary: Jeremiah Jonah Jameson tries to find methods to bring Spider-Man down a notch as his son finds a stone that transforms him into Man-Wolf. Spider-Man also encounters a super-powered Kraven, Morbius the living vampire, Rhino, and Scorpion.
1. Seemingly Secret Identity

Peter Parker reviewed his memories in the style of a comic book. He remembered being bitten by a radioactive spider. He remembered seeing his dying uncle. He remembered defeating the burglar known as Dennis Carradine. He remembered the death of Norman Osbourne, also known as the Green Goblin. He remembered witnessing the death of Doctor Octavius, nicknamed Doctor Octopus. He remembered saving Mary Jane from Venom and the Sandman with the help of Harry Osbourne, who died in the process. He remembered defeating Adrian Toomes, also known as the Vulture. He remembered fighting Lizard, whom Doctor Curt Connors became until he made the cure. He remembered seeing the Vultress, her identity revealed to be Felicia Hardy, before she flew away into the dark unknown of the night.

_My name is Peter Parker. But the people who know both sides of me also call me Spider-Man. One of those people is my girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson. I really hope she gets to live her dream again. I finally told Aunt May the truth after a few years. She worries about me, but she approves of what I do, just as Uncle Ben would. I also shouldn't forget about my former college physicist teacher... who briefly turned into a lizard last year. There's also Felicia Hardy, though I have not seen her since last year. If anybody bad found out my identity, who knows what would happen._

"Parker!"

Peter looked up from the table and at his boss, Jeremiah Jonah Jameson. There is hardly a need to describe his appearance. Anyone could recognize him from a mile away.

"Yes, Mr. Jameson?"

"Stop daydreaming during this staff meeting. My son is on his way to the Moon again, and we have to figure out what we should say about him in the paper."

"How are we supposed to compete with the _New York Post_ if all you've been wanting to do these past couple of days is rephrase the same article about your son's space mission?" Robbie Robertson asked.

"Do I sense jealousy in your tone?"

"Your son is lucky to be able to do such extraordinary things," Hoffman said.

"Of course he is. He is a hero, unlike that crook Spider-Man. What do you think, Parker?"

"I think that we could write in the article that..."

"No. What do you think about what I just said?"

"Um, I think your son is great..."

"What I said about Spider-Man being a crook. You take his pictures. I imagine you would have had something to say about him by now."

Peter Parker examined the serious expression on Jameson's face. It seemed like he was trying to imply something.

_Does he know?_ Peter wondered.

"I just find it... amusing that you see him as a crook when, clearly, there have been many other super-powered people who seem to suit the 'crook' title."

"What do you mean? Like the Fantastic Four?"

"Like that crook, Vulture."

"That was last year's news. Spider-Man is still a popular topic."

"He _is_ a popular hero," Robertson said.

"A wise guy, eh? Listen to this headline: 'HERO GOES DEEPER INTO THE VASTNESS OF SPACE'."

"That's almost the same as yesterday's."

"What was yesterday's?"

"'HERO GOES DEEP INTO THE VASTNESS OF SPACE'."

"This one's different. It has an '-er' in it. Enjoy your staff job while you have it, Parker. This could be as high as you will ever get."

Peter wondered what Jameson meant by this as the subject was changed to the matter of the newspaper article.


	2. Man in the Moon

On a space shuttle many miles away from New York, J. Jonah Jameson's son John Jameson was about to land on the Moon. He was accompanied by two other male astronauts. Their names were Ivan Roberts and Steve Scott. Though Jameson had company, he felt alone here in outer space. He had not had a meaningful relationship with anyone in years. In fact, he had not dated anyone at all these last few years.

The shuttle touched down on the Moon. This bright, white mass was not as meaningful to John as it used to be. The Moon reminded him of a kiss he had gotten from the woman he had almost married a while ago. He felt pain squeezing his insides.

_"Time to get out and collect some rock samples,"_ a static voice coming from a space station in New York alerted them.

"Roger that," Roberts replied. "Now exiting the ship to proceed with the mission."

"I don't expect we'll find giant robots out here," Scott said.

The three astronauts exited the shuttle. John was the first to jump onto the surface. He wished that he could smash the ground so hard that he could leave a giant crater behind.

"He's gotta take all the glory, doesn't he?" Scott asked.

"He's just really moody," Roberts explained. "Don't mind him."

Roberts and Scott stayed near each other as they collected geological samples of the area. John strayed a far distance away from them. Each rock that he picked up was thrown to the ground. The results revealed the gravity of this place.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something sparkle. He headed towards it to investigate what it was. A closer look revealed that it was a gem. This gem looked very beautiful. It resembled a ruby.

_Red and beautiful,_ John thought. _Just like Mary Jane Watson__.  
_

John Jameson picked up the ruby and wrapped his gloved hands around it. He looked back. Scott and Roberts were far away from the shuttle. Jameson decided that it would be best to head back to the shuttle immediately. That way, he could hide the stone on the ship without the knowledge of its existence being exposed to his companions, whom he did not care for.

He did just that. After a number of leaps, he reached the shuttle and boarded it. The stone would be on its way to Earth when the current mission was complete. He looked at Earth through the window.

_ I will give this to her. I will win her back. I will beat Peter Parker._


	3. The Nightclub

Peter Parker met up with Mary Jane at the nightclub where she worked. He could tell that she was tired of working here. While she did get to sing from time to time here, she was also a waitress. She was in the middle of a song when Peter walked in. Peter waited for her to finish before speaking to her. He joined in with all of the customers who applauded her. She glanced at him and smiled.

"Hey, Pete."

She stepped off of the stage and stood in front her boyfriend

"Your voice is so beautiful," Peter said. "The theater business needs you. You belong there."

"I know, Pete. It's just been so hard to find work."

"None of the auditions have worked so far?"

"Not one."

"Don't worry, Mary Jane. You will succeed in an audition one of these days."

"You keep saying that. I want to believe you. But I've been trying for a year now, and nobody wants me. They are always hiring better singers and actresses."

"_They_ think that those singers and actresses are better than you. In my eyes and ears, you are the best that there is."

"Of course I am. You're my boyfriend. You're supposed to say that."

"It's what I believe."

The two of them looked into each others eyes and held hands for a moment.

"You're lucky, Pete," Mary Jane said. "You get to be a hero saving lives. An, meanwhile, I'm stuck in this place."

They were not sure what to say to each other after that comment. They paused for a bit. The background was filled with the sound of the piano player. After a few seconds, Mary Jane broke the awkward silence.

"How's your job?"

"Jameson's paying me more than one would expect. It's like this weird game that he's playing."

"What do you mean?"

"He's been acting strange. It's as if he's hiding something."

Mary Jane's eyes widened.

"Do you think that he knows... you know?"

"I'm not sure. If he does, then he's planning something."

"I just hope he doesn't hold a grudge after I left his son for you three years ago."

"Miss!" a customer shouted. "Miss! Can you take my order, please? I've been waiting here for ten minutes!"

"Coming!" Mary Jane shouted. "I've gotta go. I'll call you later."

Peter watched Mary Jane walk over to the table to take write down what beverages and meals the group of men desired. He did not enjoy seeing the love of his life like this. He could tell that she was in a miserable period of her life.

"Hang in there," Peter said quietly.


	4. ManWolf

In a New York space station, scientists looked at the monitors that showed what was going on in the space shuttle that was heading back from the Moon. Activities were being observed. This was the day that the shuttle would return to Earth. The footage was being broadcasted on news channels.

"What's that?" one of the scientists asked, pointing at the stone that looked different from the other rocks beside it. It started emitting electricity. The screens started looking fuzzy.

"We have a prob..." they heard Scott say.

"What's going on?" another scientist said.

"Elect... not working on this thing," Roberts said. "Might be... down."

Between the glitches on the screens, the scientists could see bolts of lightning shooting from the red stone and electrocuting Roberts and Scott to death. Jameson picked up the stone. It did not electrocute him. Instead, it flew at his neck. Before the footage faded away, the scientists could see a silhouette of Jameson, the stone moving into his neck.

"Whatever that thing is is out to kill humankind," a scientist said. "It's probably decapitating Jameson right now."

"We don't know for sure," someone else said. "He could be okay. It may not be what it looked like."

Many people around New York watched the news coverage on the footage. Among these viewers were the employees at the _Bugle_.

_"There seems to be something on the shuttle, perhaps some sort of moon rock, causing technical difficulties. There are reports that people are doing what they can to prevent the shuttle from crashing. A plane is on its way to where it appears the shuttle may fall."_

"No," J. Jonah Jameson said. "My son. He can't die." Jameson turned around and noticed that Peter was missing. "Where's Parker?"

"I don't know, sir," Hoffman said. "He was here just a second ago."

"Probably off trying to be a hero," J. Jonah Jameson muttered to himself. "Won't change a thing."

J. Jonah Jameson was right. Peter Parker was off being a hero. He suited up in his Spider-Man outfit and followed the plane that was shown on the news. He caught up to it and hung onto it with a web. He climbed up and clung to the bottom of the plane. It flew to the outskirts of the city. Spider-Man could see the shuttle falling from the sky. It was covered in embers.

"If there was a symbiote on that ship, it wouldn't get through the fire," Spider-Man mused.

The plane flew closer to the shuttle. It matched its trajectory to it. Spider-Man shot out some webs and got them to stick to the top of the shuttle. He tried pulling it up. He was not as strong as he wanted to be. No matter. He stuck some ropes of web onto the plane and made sure that they were long enough to connect to the shuttle. He was helping. He climbed to the top of the plane as it managed to get a hold on the shuttle. It was not crashing anytime soon. The plane took the shuttle to the landing pad outside of the space station. It released it, and Spider-Man got off of the plane.

"It's Spider-Man!"

Scientists and news reporters were delighted to see the masked hero. The professionals walked over the the space shuttle door and opened it. They were given an unfriendly greeting by a monster within. It resembled a large wolf, but it was bipedal. it wore nothing but shorts that looked like it may have been part of an astronaut's uniform. The edges looked torn.

It clawed at those who opened the shuttle door, killing them. Everyone gathered around the shuttle ran away. The creature ran after them. Spider-Man shot webs at it, angering it. The grey, wolf-like creature ran after him. Spider-Man tried holding his ground, but it was too strong for him; its upper body was full of muscles. It punched Spider-Man a few time in the face. It flung itself at him and inserted its claws in his shoulders.

The pain was unbearable. Spider-Man appeared dead. A few people with guns arrived on the scene and started firing. The creature sprinted towards them on all fours. Its zig-zag patter made it difficult for the bullets to hit it. It slapped the guns out of the people's hands before hitting their faces with its feet. It ran away from the space station.

When Spider-Man finally got up, he felt dizzy. He could not determine which way the creature ran off. He went over to the shuttle to investigate. There were two dead bodies, but neither of them were John Jameson; he was not in here.

"Don't tell me John turned into that thing," Spider-Man said to himself. "Here we go again."


	5. Morbius

News of the beat that emerged from the shuttle spread across the city. In a mansion, a scientist watched the news coverage.

_"Judging from the appearance of the creature, people have settled on the name Man-Wolf. Scotts and Roberts were found dead in the shuttle from some sort of electric shock. John Jameson, however, has gone missing. He is visible in the footage that was playing before the technical difficulties. If you look closely, you can see what appears to be a stone going into Jameson's neck. Some people believe that the mysterious stone is magical, and that it turned into some sort of moon monster that may have grown out while in Jameson's neck and eaten the remains. If that theory is true, then it would seem strange that the bodies of the remaining astronauts are left untouched. Until there is logical, scientific evidence, this theory may be discarded."_

"Fools," the scientist said in a Greek accent. "Stupid reporter."

This was no ordinary scientist. This was Michael Morbius, and he lived in Morbius Manor. He was of Greek decent and had long, black hair. Morbius had retired from the public life and dedicated himself to research that interested him. This research was conducted in his own home. The science that he was interested in was supernatural science.

A decade prior, Doctor Michael Morbius experimented with a vampire bat and electroshock therapy. These experiments yielded monstrous results. His skin became pale, and he grew out fangs. He thirsted for blood. To put it simply, he became a vampire.

Morbius became aware of what he had become quickly. For this reason, he took shelter in his home, only coming out at night. He made a black outfit for himself so that he could be camouflaged in the night. He would find himself awake at night and asleep during the day. There were times, however, when he awoke during the day, feeling thirsty. Sometimes, he would go outside during the day, wearing a cloak that would cover his head, protecting him from the burning sunlight. He would overlook people from rooftops, wondering who would be his prey.

Other monsters have talked to themselves in the mirror. This monster, however, could not bear to look at himself in the mirror. Morbius was disgusted by what he had become. From time to time, he would conduct experiments to see if he could cure himself from vampirism. After a decade, there was no luck.

The dark side of him wanted to cause chaos.

He flipped through the pages of an ancient book. It was about the supernatural and the stars. He found a drawing of a red stone.

"The Godstone," he said to himself. "That astronaut must have found it. It must have turned him into a werewolf. Maybe I can put the Godstone to good use. If only I could catch him. I am not strong enough for something so big. Perhaps I can test my new invention on someone willing to catch him for me."

Throughout the night, Morbius put the finishing touches on his new invention. If it worked, it had to potential to turn someone into a complete animal.


	6. Intentions

That night, Peter Parker and Mary Jane stayed at Aunt May's house.

"Thanks for letting us stay here, Aunt May," Peter said.

"It is very dangerous with that wolf thing running around out there," she replied.

"Are you sure that it is John?" Mary Jane asked.

"I'm positive. I could not find his body on that shuttle. Plus, that thing was wearing part of an astronaut's outfit. I am worried that he would be after you."

"Right. I imagine it must have been hard for him when I left him for you. If I were you, though, I would be more worried about yourself. Maybe he thinks that, with you out of the picture, he could 'win' me."

"The lengths that love can drive a person," May said. "I just hope that that poor boy can find a way to change back to normal if what you are saying is true, Peter."

"I wish I knew how to help him," Peter said.

"What about Doctor Connors?" Mary Jane suggested. "He's a smart guy. Maybe he will know something about this."

"Doctor Connors has been through a lot. I don't want to drag him into something that he may not get out of. He barely made it back to his normal life after he turned into Lizard."

"But he was able to create a chemical that cured him. Maybe he can cure John."

"I am not sure if the change is chemical, though. I've been watching the replays of the footage on the news. It looks like some red moon rock got into his neck. I think I may have seen a lump in his neck when he attacked me."

"I suppose the solution would be to get it out," May said. "If it has to be you who does it, Peter, please be careful. And remember that there is a young man within the monster. He could have a future if he is given another chance."

"You're right, Aunt May. I don't think that he would do the same for me, but I feel like I owe him. The least I can do is save his life. Helping that plane get the shuttle was not enough."

Peter let Mary Jane sleep in the guest room. He slept on the couch. That night, he had a dream. Uncle Ben was present in this dream. A white light was behind him. He walked up to Peter.

"You may be facing more than you think. There could be others out there who are trying to do the opposite of what you are trying to do. Be weary of that."

"I will, Uncle Ben. I know that there are people who may be after John Jameson. But I cannot promise that I will get to him first."

"Then promise that you can save him."

"I promise that I will save him if he is captured by anyone else."

"Remember, Peter, that there are hunters out there. Don't let them kill him."

"I won't. He has become my responsibility."


	7. Mac Gargan

The next morning, Peter arrived at his workplace. He stopped to talk to Betty Brant.

"How is Jameson handling this?" Peter asked.

"He seems very upset," Betty said. "He is denying the theory that his son has turned into a wolf. But I think that, deep down, he believes that it may be true. He is having a meeting with someone."

"Who?"

"Some guy named Mac."

In his office, J. Jonah Jameson sat at his desk. He held up a newspaper that was published by the _New York Post_. It contained the headline, "THE MAN-WOLF MENACE FROM SPACE." It contained a photo of Man-Wolf that was a bit blurred.

"Maybe my son has turned into this thing, or maybe he hadn't. Either way, I am hiring you, Mr. Gargan, because I have heard that you are one of the best private investigators."

Standing in front of his desk was a man named Mac Gargan. This was a private investigator Jameson believed he could trust with confidentiality.

"It seems dangerous," Gargan said. "I'm not sure if I can do it just for the money."

"Come on, Mac. This is my son. And aren't you people all about green? Money's not enough for you?"

"I'm just saying, I could get hurt during an investigation like this. Have you seen the videos on the news?"

"Of course I have! I am worried about my son! Why wouldn't I watch the news? I need some sign of his whereabouts. Look, maybe I can offer you more.

"Like what?"

"If you can bring my son to me, you will get the money. In addition, you will also get credit for a photo I happen to have of Spider-Man unmasked."

"Spider-Man unmasked? You're joking. Nobody has ever unmasked Spider-Man."

"I happen to know for a fact that Spider-Man works in my office."

"And you're blackmailing him?"

"I'm just waiting for the right moment to reveal his secret to the world, you know? When this newspaper really needs it. You can have the credit for the photo. I will say that I hired you to investigate who Spider-Man was."

"How long ago did you take the photo?"

"A year ago?"

"Won't people wonder why it took this long?"

"Just say that you misplaced it and then found it. I don't care!"

"Misplaced it?"

"You will get the credit and whatever money I make from the newspaper issue that reveals his identity. The fact that everyone will know his secret will be satisfying enough for me. What do you say? Will you find my son or not?"

Mac paused for a moment to think.

"I may have a lead."

"Very good. You're a private investigator. Go... investigate privately."

Mac Gargan opened the door of the office and exited. J. Jonah Jameson took a long look at Peter Parker. Peter looked back at him. Jameson gave him a smile and a wave.

"Why is he doing that?" Betty asked.

"I don't know," Peter replied. "But it's really creeping me out."

"You and me both," Betty said.


	8. Rhino

Morbius the living vampire looked at the monitors in his lab. The camera at the front of his mansion revealed that a tall, buff thug was standing in front of the gate, waiting for it to be opened. Morbius activated the button that opened the gate. The gate doors swung away from the thug until Morbius pressed the button again, causing them to swing back towards the thug's direction. The thug pushed his hands against the gate doors and managed to hold them long enough to allow himself to get through. He let go and let them slam shut behind him.

"This is a strong one," Morbius said to himself. "And he shall become stronger."

Morbius put on a cloak to cover his face. He did not want to risk exposure to sunlight when he would have to open the door for the thug. He went upstairs and heard the thug slamming his fists on the front door. Morbius walked over and opened it for him.

"You have impressed me," Morbius said.

"You tried closing the gates on me on purpose?" the thug said.

"I tried, but I failed. Come in. What did you say your name was on the phone?"

"Aleksei Mikhailovich Sytsevich."

"What an interesting name. It is hard to memorize and pronounce. Soon, you will have a name that is shorter and easier to memorize."

"What do you mean?"

"Come to my lab and I will show you."

Sytsevich followed Morbius downstairs to his laboratory. Morbius locked the door behind them.

"So, what is it exactly that you want me to do?" Sytsevich asked.

"I want you to capture the creature they have been talking about on the news."

"The one that they call Man-Wolf?"

"Yes. Precisely that creature."

"What do you need it for?"

"Just look around yourself. I need it for research."

"You like researching monsters."

"I _am_ a monster."

"How do you mean?" Sytsevich asked, appearing a little nervous.

"Perhaps it would be more clear if I show you."

Morbius unwrapped the cloth that covered his head. He revealed his grotesque face. Sytsevich was terrified, but he tried not to show his fear.

"Are you a..."

"...living vampire? Yes. Perhaps I can cure myself with the same components required to cure the wolf."

"I don't understand. You are a vampire. Why can't you catch it yourself?"

"I prefer not to fly out in the open. And I am not sure that I am strong enough to capture this beast."

"What makes you believe that _I_ can?"

"Because _you_ are going to test my newest invention. It will bond strong polymer to your skin and give you superior strength. You will be able to take down _anything_. No ordinary human being will be able to stop you."

"In that case, I agree to participate in this test."

"It was never a question."

Sytsevich removed every article of clothing he wore except for his underwear. He stepped into Morbiius' machine. The doors closed. Smoke surrounded Sytsevich within as polymer was attached to his skin. The procedure was painful.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

The screaming died down when it was all over. The doors opened. The smoke cleared, revealing a large being that no longer appeared man. It rather looked like a rhino.

"What is your new name?" Morbius asked.

"Rhino."


	9. ManWolf vs Rhino

That night, Man-Wolf was running around the outskirts of New York City. He felt more powerful than he had ever felt as a human. The light of the full moon got his blood pumping at a quick rate. He stopped every once in a while to smell the grass that was on the ground. He had amplified senses in this form. He listened. He could hear a vehicle coming down the road. Specifically a van. He ran to the road and observed the van.

It stopped. He believed that he may have been spotted. It looked like someone was cramped up in the van. It did not look like an ordinary man. As he exited the van with great difficulty, Man-Wolf could discern that the man resembled a Rhino. He was a bit taller than Man-Wolf. He walked in Man-Wolf's direction.

"I couldn't find you in the city," Rhino said. "Then it hit me. I figured that a wolf like you would want to run in open space."

_Open space._

The phrase reminded the man in Man-Wolf of his previous flights in outer space. Man-Wolf stared up into the stars. His eyes began to water a little.

_Will I ever be human again? Or will I stay a monster forever?_

He heard the ground shake. He turned back and saw Rhino running towards him. Rhino headbutt Man-Wolf, his horn barely missing him. Man-Wolf fell back. He pulled himself up. He was now very aggressive.

_A wolf can hunt down this rhino!_

He stood up and swung his fist at the right side of Rhino's torso. It hurt like hell. He tried again on the left side. It gave him the same amount of pain as the other side. Rhino's polymer layer seemed impenetrable.

"That's right," Rhino said. "I am much stronger than you. What's the puppy gonna do? Cry? Are you gonna cry little puppy?"

The two began to grapple with each other. Rhino proved to be the stronger of the two. He managed to push Man-Wolf down to the ground. He then picked him up and threw him to the ground again. He tried slamming down his fists, but Man-Wolf rolled away, dodging them.

"You can roll over?" Rhino said. "Well, I have a few tricks of my own."

Rhino ran towards Man-Wolf and hit his chest with his horn. Man-Wolf pushed Rhino away. He examined his chest and saw a scratch. The blood that was there looked black in the moonlight. Man-Wolf observed Rhino.

_The face,_ he thought. _That the only place that doesn't have rhino skin._

Man-Wolf ran towards Rhino and clawed at his face. Four scratched appeared across Rhino's face. Man-Wolf howled.

"Now you've made me angry!" Rhino said.

Rhino punched Man-Wolf in the snout. Man-Wolf tried clawing at Rhino's face again. Rhino ducked and dodged it. He rammed his horn into Man-Wolf's abdomen. It did not impale his stomach; it only scratched the surface of his abdomen. He punched Man-Wolf in the head, knocking him unconscious.

"Stupid dog!"

Rhino dragged Man-Wolf all the way to his van. He put him in the back. He then struggled to get into the van to sit in the driver's seat. When he was inside, he closed the door and drove off. He was on his way back to New York, where he would arrive at Morbius Manor and deliver his prize.


	10. Private Meeting

Peter Parker, as Spider-Man, clung to the roof of the house of Mac Gargan. He had done his research on this man on the internet, which he accessed from the computer at the house he purchased a couple months prior. According to a few sources, Mac Gargan was a private investigator, meaning that he normally did not ask questions about the investigations that his employers want him to conduct. He had followed a few people to monitor their activities. He had also solved a few missing person cases.

Peter believed that it was the latter that Gargan was working on currently. After all, J. Jonah Jameson had what appeared to be a lengthy discussion with Gargan. It would make sense for Jameson to hire someone like this to search for his missing son, no questions asked. Peter wondered how Gargan would know where to find him. Whatever his method, Peter believed that he could potentially locate John Jameson, making Peter's job just a little easier. He would have to make sure that John would not harm Gargan.

In the middle of the night, Mac Gargan exited his home. He looked around to see if anyone was watching him. Spider-Man hid behind the chimney. Once he was certain that he was alone, Gargan got into his car and drove off. Spider-Man followed. He passed through backyards and clung to the sides of buildings. He stayed wherever he could find a shadowy place to conceal his presence. He swung above Gargan's car during the drive. When it was over, Gargan arrived at the gate of a mansion.

"What the heck is this scary-looking place?" Spider-Man said to himself, quietly so that Gargan could not hear him behind the car.

Gargan walked up to the gate doors and examined them.

"I see that he hasn't done much decorating," Gargan said to himself.

_Who?_ Spider-Man wondered.

Before Gargan could knock on the gate doors, they opened for him.

"From this, I can deduce that I am being watched," Gargan said to himself.

_At least he doesn't know that _I _am also watching him_.

Spider-Man looked at the mansion and spotted a few cameras. He watched Gargan go through the gate. He walked towards the door of the mansion. He knocked on it. It opened, revealing a cloaked figure.

_This is my chance__, _Spider-Man thought. _Whoever that is is not monitoring the camera footage._

Gargan entered, and the door closed. Spider-Man climbed over the gate and ran to the side of the mansion. He checked the windows. They were all locked. He did not want to break any windows. That would draw attention to himself. He climbed to the roof of the mansion and spotted a chimney. He looked inside. There was no fire.

"Seems safe enough," he said to himself.

Spider-Man went inside and clung to the walls on the inside of the chimney. He could hear voices.

"It has been years since I've seen you, Mr. Gargan," the owner of the mansion said. "What are you here for?"

"I am here to ask you if you know anything about Man-Wolf," Gargan said.

"Man-Wolf? You must be reading works of fiction."

"Don't play dumb, Morbius. I know how smart you are. I know that you watch the news to see what's going on in the outside world. There is no way that you would be completely unaware of Man-Wolf."

"Perhaps I am unaware, or perhaps not. In either case, what interests you about it?"

"I was hired to find the astronaut John Jameson, and I suspect that he may have turned into that thing."

"So you have come to me?"

"Yes. I know that you do a lot of research. Something like this wolf creature from space would have some scientific explanation. You _have_ to know something about it."

"Maybe I do... Why don't we move this discussion to my laboratory?"

Spider-Man heard them walk through a door. Morbius locked it. Spider-Man came out of the fireplace and brushed himself off. He shot webs at the cameras that were inside of the mansion. He walked over to the door to the laboratory and tried listening.


	11. Bargain

Gargan followed Morbius down the stairs that led to the laboratory. He looked around, examining various machines and chemicals.

"This is quite an impressive lab you have here," Gargan said.

"You don't sound very impressed," Morbius replied.

"It's nighttime. I feel tired."

"As you know, I don't fell tired at night."

Morbius took off his cloak, revealing his vampiric face. Gargan was hesitant to speak, taking off his hat to hold in front of his neck.

"Um... You don't look like you've aged a bit."

"That is a lie! I look older. I seem to remember hiring you a few years back to search for someone who could possibly cure my condition. You never got back to me."

"I couldn't find a cure. I even got close to uncovering lairs of other vampires. But they were always slain by this 'Daywalker.' I could never find a cure, and I don't think even they had any idea what it was. They probably didn't want to be cured. They enjoyed what they did."

"Do you think _I_ enjoy what I do?"

"You seem to be productive in here."

"I am productive because I _need_ a cure. Answer me this: Why did you never inform me that you could not find a cure?"

"To be honest, I was scared. I had heard of what these other vampires had done. I was worried about what you might do to me if I did not complete your request."

"So what makes you think that I would want to help you?"

"Because I have come to warn you of someone who may endanger you. I will give you this information in exchange for information about John Jameson."

"I have hired someone to capture Man-Wolf. If he completes his job, he should be back a bit later. How about this? I will tell you about how Jameson became a wolf and how he can be cured. Then, you can tell me about this threat that you speak of. When Man-Wolf is brought to me, we will see where we go from there. Do you agree to these conditions?"

"I suppose I have no choice."

"There is a scientific explanation for how man becomes monster. For the Green Goblin, it was a machine made by Oscorp. For Doctor Octopus, it was mechanical tentacles. For Vulture, it was a mechanical flight harness. And I believe that Lizard may have been a result of a scientific experiment gone wrong. I have studied the stars and what lies beyond them. There are many mysteries out there. I have heard of symbiotic creatures that are able to take over other organisms, making them evil. This is what struck New York three years back. There is also radiation, which gave the Fantastic Four their powers. John Jameson, however, did not transform through this. Rather, he took a Godstone from the Moon. It must gotten under the skin of his neck and transformed him into the creature that you all call Man-Wolf. I want the Godstone so that I may see whether or not I can use it to reverse the effects of my experiment that went wrong."

"So we're gonna get that thing out of John's neck?"

"I have told you all that I know, Gargan. Now tell me what _you_ know."

Mac Gargan pulled an envelope out of his trench coat. He handed it to Morbius. Morbius opened it and examined its contents.

"Kraven the Hunter," Gargan explained. "You may have heard of him last year when he tried hunting Lizard. I observed his activities for a couple of years, thinking that he may be a threat to you."

"You examined him because you believed that you would need me in the future."

"I examined him because I wanted some sort of information that I could give you. I have learned that he has become stronger than before, through means that I don't know. Maybe it's scientific. Maybe you can defeat him if he tries tracking you down, and then you can interrogate him."

"This seems very interesting, Gargan. If you look at the monitors, you will see that my associate has arrived. There he is, carrying Man-Wolf with him. Be ready."


	12. Further Experimentation

Spider-Man went back into the chimney, knowing that Man-Wolf would be brought into the mansion by Morbius' associate. He decided that he would let Morbius extract the Godstone from John Jameson's neck. He would be normal again. And maybe it would cure Morbius, thus preventing him from causing any future harm upon citizens.

Morbius and Gargan exited the lab. Someone knocked really hard on the door. Morbius opened it, revealing a man in a suit that made him look like a rhino. He was carrying an unconscious Man-Wolf.

"Mac Gargan," Morbius began, "I would like to introduce you to Rhino."

Gargan was speechless. He trembled at the sight of the large thug.

"This thing scratched my face!" Rhino complained. "Am I going to turn into one of him, now?"

"I don't think so," Morbius said. "The power of the Godstone is not like an infectious virus. Let us all go back to the lab."

They all went into the lab. When the door closed, Spider-Man went up to it to listen again. Morbius made an incision in Man-Wolf's neck and extracted his blood.

"Now, Mr. Gargan, I would like to give you a gift."

"John Jameson?"

"No. Something else."

"Oh no. You're not gonna turn me into..."

"Not what you think, Gargan."

Mac Gargan tried making a run for the stairs.

"Hold him, Rhino!"

Rhino grabbed Gargan and held onto him.

"What are you gonna do to me?"

"Since you failed me, I am going to let you show me whether my next experiment will succeed or fail. I have studied the technology of Oscorp. I broke into their labs five years ago and learned of some interesting results. Now, I have a serum that will transform you, cursing you as I was cursed, but in a different way. I have added an ingredient from a certain insect."

Morbius pulled a serum out of a cabinet. It looked green. Out of a closet, he pulled out a green suit made of steel with a mask and a mechanical tail that had pincers at the tip. The sybernetic tail was seven feet long.

"What's that?" Gargan asked.

"A scorpion suit. I studied Doctor Octavius' technology and utilized his ideas to make this. Put him in this after I inject him."

Morbius injected the serum into Gargan's veins. Rhino took Gargan's trenchcoat off of him and forced him to wear the suit. Gargan looked woozy.

The lab door was locked; Spider-Man could not open it. He could not help Gargan.

"How do you feel, Scorpion?"

Scorpion looked paranoid; he looked around the lab and ran up the stairs ninety miles per hour, breaking down the door and crushing Spider-Man. Spider-Man saw him break through a window, racing to an unknown destination. Morbius walked up the stairs and saw Spider-Man.

"It appears that we have an unwelcome pest. Rhino, please knock him out and then you will be paid handsomely and free to rampage around the city all you want."

"This is the most interesting job I have been hired for," Rhino said before punching Spider-Man in the head, knocking him unconscious.


	13. Scorpion

In the early hours of the next day, Scorpion wondered around the city.

"What's happening to me!"

Everything around him was a blur. He did not feel stable. His instability was apparent when he jumped from the top of one parked car to another. He saw cars approaching in the streets. He leaped onto a moving car.

"What the-?" the driver said. He looked outside of his window. "Ah!"

Scorpion leaped onto the windshield of another moving car. It started to swerve out of control. Scorpion let go right before it crashed into another car. Fire appeared.

"Crap!" Scorpion said.

He ran on the sidewalk. He looked down and noticed that he was walking on all fours. A couple of minutes later. He heard sirens.

_They are after me,_ he thought. _They can't see me like th_is_; I would be left without my job._

His concern over his job faded was he began running on all fours. The sirens got closer. He saw a firetruck turn a corner. It was up ahead of him. He suspected that its driver meant to run him over.

"You won't crush this bug!"

Without thinking, he touched the wall of a building right next to himself. He clung. He reached higher and clung to a higher point. He climbed higher. No goal was more important to him than that of getting to the top of the building. An elderly citizen with white hair and black glasses looked up at Scorpion.

"I thought Spider-Man was the only 'Insect Man' around here. Now there's another 'Stick-to-Wall Man'? What's next? A 'Fly Man' called 'Mosquito Man'?"

Scorpion kept on climbing until he got to the top of the building. He gazed at the city until dawn.

"I am like Spider-Man," he said. He looked at his pincer. "Better, even!"

He jumped to the next building and clung to its wall. He used his pincer to break open a dozen windows as he climbed downward. When he got to the middle of the building, he went through one of the broken windows, terrifying the office workers on the inside.

"What is that thing?" a woman asked.

"Scorpion!" he replied before swinging his pincer at a nearby computer.

Scorpion broke out of a window on the opposite side of the building and climbed downward. He saw three police cars arrive. When he was ten feet above the sidewalk, the police officers exited their cars and shot at him. Their bullets were no match for his steel suit. The pincer picked up one of the guns and threw it aside. Scorpion used the pincer to grab an officer by the collar. He raised it up so that the officers face was a foot away from his own.

"You can't squash a bug with a bullet."

Scorpion flung the officer towards another, causing them both to fall. He jumped onto one of the police cars, causing a dent in the roof. He continued running, moving between cars in the middle of the street. He realized that there was a bank nearby. He impulsively rushed towards it and pulled the doors open with his pincers. The people who were in line ran away like cowering ants. Scorpion leaped over the workers. He searched for the vaults. When he found them, he broke them open with his pincers. There were many stacks of bills.  
He stashed as many bills as he could in the pockets of his clothes beneath his suit, making sure that no one was looking.

"Green! So much green!"

When he had enough, he exited the bank and continued running through the streets.


	14. Discovery on the News

In the morning, Mary Jane awoke in the guestroom of May Parker's home. She opened the door and exited. She looked around.

"Mary Jane," May said. "I see that you are awake."

"Where's Peter?" Mary Jane asked.

"I don't know. I was hoping he would be somewhere around here when I woke up. I have looked all around. No sign of him anywhere."

"He hasn't come back?"

May Parker's eyes started to water.

"I am worried about him, Mary Jane. What if he doesn't come back? What if it has finally happened and he has been...?"

"Don't say that. I know Peter. We both do. He is strong and smart. Whatever trouble he may find himself in, he will figure a way out of it."

"I do hope that you are right, dear. It's just that, all this is too much to wake up to."

"Why don't we sit and calm ourselves."

"Right. We should turn on the television. Maybe there will be something on the news."

"Good idea."

The two most important women in Peter Parker's life sat down on the couch in the living room. Mary Jane handed the remote to May. She pressed a few buttons to turn on the television and change it to the closest news station. The two of them beheld footage of cars on fire in the streets. A male news reporter began to speak about the current crisis.

_"There have been sightings of what appears to be a man in a green suit. His suit seems to be made of middle and incorporates a tail resembling that of a scorpion. One hysterical woman claims that, when she asked what he was, he answered that he was Scorpion. Police forces have been trying their best efforts to exterminate this bug, but some have died or been injured in the process so far."_

"Oh dear," May said. "Do you think Peter knows about this?"

"I don't know," Mary Jane replied. "I wish I knew. I wish I knew where he was."

On the screen, they saw the news reporter interviewing a man in the street. This man wore a suit that appeared to be made out of the pelts of various jungle cats.

_"Here with me is Kraven the Hunter, a man who attempted to capture Florida's Lizard last year. Kraven, how did your failure to capture the creature affect you?"_

_"It affected me heavily. I knew that I had to grow stronger. There are stronger creatures in this day and age. The Scorpion is one of them. I have gotten increased strength, and am therefore likely to capture and kill this man. I also intend to track down this Man-Wolf that everyone has been talking about so that I may put its pelt to good use."  
_

_"How do you think people who support animal rights will feel about that?"  
_

_"I don't care how they feel. I don't care how my prey feel. I only care about how I, a hunter, feel. I will feel gratified when I hunt down and kill these creatures."_

"That man is a monster himself," Mary Jane commented. "Peter told me about him once. He tried killing Doctor Connors."

"How terrible," May said. "Doesn't he realize what he is doing? He must not have been raised right."

"I agree. He probably has a whole villainous family of his own trying to blend in with civilized society."

"I just want to know what has happened to my only nephew," May said.


	15. A New Game

Peter Parker awoke. He was wearing his Spider-Man suit, his mask included. He tried moving around. There were ropes tied around him. He looked around. Sunlight was behind a silhouetted figure a few feet away from him.

"Where am I?" Spider-Man asked.

"You are on a high rooftop. Don't worry. You're still in New York City."

The figure walked closer to Spider-Man. It was cloaked; he could not see its face.

"What did you do to me, Morbius?" Spider-Man asked.

"Other than tie you up, Peter Parker? That's right. I saw your identification card. I know who you are. Fortunately for you, I am not interested in exposing your identity to the public like others would be."

"Answer me! What did you do to me?"

"Other than tie you up? I did some testing."

"On Man-Wolf? Where is he?"

"On both of you."

"What do you mean?" Spider-Man asked, feeling frightened.

"I extracted some blood from Man-Wolf. I examined it. It looked so unnaturally shiny. A glowing crimson color. I got a blood sample from myself and got it under a microscope as well. It tested in every single way. I created chemicals and saw their effects on blood samples from both he and I. I mixed our blood to see what would happen. I even extracted blood from you to see what I could do with it. Still nothing!"

"You took my blood?"

"I needed answers. I have none! Out of my frustration, I created something new. Something that could hurt you and others around you."

"A chemical weapon?"

"If I cannot be happy, why should I let you. What will you do when I untie you? Will you bring me to justice?"

"I have to. You are a threat."

"Not as much of a threat as the animals that I have unleashed. Man-Wolf was of no use to me. I decided to just release him into the city and let the humans deal with him. MacDonald Gargan wanted to have him cured, but seeing as he has gone insane after I turned him into Scorpion, that should not matter to him right now. And then there is the man I hired to catch Man-Wolf in the first place: Rhino. He has been released from my service, doing God knows what."

"Why are you doing all this?"

"Society won't accept vampires. It makes me suffer. Should not they suffer as well?"

"It's wrong! How do you expect them to face threats like the ones you have set free?"

"Poor Spider-Man. Always thinking about the humans. You should become more human rather than hero. But don't worry. I am sure that there is one man who is up to the challenge of taking down these creatures. I am very interested in meeting him if I can."

"Who is it?"

"I'm not sure if you two have met, but he is called Kraven the Hunter. Heard of him?"

"Yeah. We briefly met."

"He is pissed. I am not sure what will happen to you if you get in his way. Will you save all these men turned to monsters from a man who hunts monsters? How can you save them all?"

"By getting to the hunter first."

"Good luck with that. I should warn you, though, that the suits which I have given to Rhino and Scorpion are too strong for the likes of you. You should know from the look of him you got last night. Do you happen to know of any scholarly help? I do."

With the discussion over, Morbius used a knife to cut the ropes off of Spider-Man. He threw the knife off of the building. He ran over to the edge and jumped. Morbius' cape spread out. The vampire flew away across the cityscape. Spider-Man sprang up and walked over to the edge of the building. He could not see Morbius anywhere.

"Scholarly help?" Spider-Man said to himself. "Doctor Connors!"

Spider-Man jumped off of the building and swung towards the direction of Curt Connors' home.


	16. Rhino's Rampage

Car alarms sounded throughout one of the city's streets. This was due to Rhino smashing any car that was in his path. He jumped onto many parked cars, creating large dents that were not fixable. He even took some car tops off and pulled off some hoods. A police car was driven towards him. He stood right in its path and held out his hands in front of himself and clenched his fists, which broke through the police car's windshield.

"You can't put handcuffs around these!" Rhino said before smashing the hood of the car with his fists.

"AH!" citizens on the sidewalks screamed, running away frantically.

More police cars arrived. Officers exited their vehicles and started shooting at Rhino. The bullets could not penetrate the polymer.

"Aim for the face!" one of the officers suggested. "It's not covered!"

They all began to aim at Rhino's face and fired. Rhino covered his face with his arms, blocking the bullets. When they ran out of ammo, he moved his arms from his face to the officers' torsos, knocking them down. He body slammed a handful of officers, crushing them under excruciating weight.

"You think that you can shoot down this animal?" Rhino said. "I am more powerful than any animal out there!"

Rhino got down on all fours and ran down the middle of the street. He rammed half a dozen cars with his horn. He heard a sound coming from above. He looked up and noticed a helicopter. It hovered above him. One of the people inside started shooting at him. The bullets hit his suit. After a few seconds, Rhino dropped to the ground face-down.

"You got him!" the pilot said.

The helicopter hovered closer to the ground. The people inside it gazed at Rhino's body. It was too late for them to realize that he was still alive. Rhino stood up and pushed the helicopter into a building across the street. The wall was covered in fire.

"I am Rhino! Hear me roar!"

"I hear you, you filthy beast."

Rhino looked around.

"Who said that?"

"Look up here."

Rhino looked up at the top of a building nearby. He saw a man not born in this country. He wore the pelts of many jungle cats. These included the pelts of lions, tigers, cheetahs, leopards, and panthers.

"Who are you?"

"I am a hunter around these parts. Well, I wasn't always a hunter around here. I actually moved here recently. I was fixated on hunting down Spider-Man. Now I see that this city has more game than I expected. I really wish that I had been here last year when Vulture struck. That would have been a good challenge. No matter. This should still be fun."

"You won't think it's fun when I have crushed your bones!"

"You think that you can defeat _me_? I hunted rhinos to death with my own bare hands _before_ I gained super-strength." At this point, Kraven the Hunter threw down a rhino's horn. "Hunting you down should be easy. An unfair fight for you, not for me, now that I am stronger."

"I am stronger than you will ever be!"

"Then prove it."

"You prove it by coming down here!"

"As you wish."

Kraven the Hunter jumped off of the building and landed on top of Rhino. He held on to his horn. Rhino tried shaking him off. When Kraven was on his back, Rhino slammed his backside onto the ground. He got up, believing that he had crushed Kraven to death. When he looked at the hunter, however, he noticed that he still had strength in him. Kraven got up, appearing unharmed.

"Is that the best you have got?"

"How?"

"Magic."


	17. Return of a Friend

Spider-Man sped through the city until he at last arrived at the house of Curtis Connors. He noticed that a window was broken. He went inside and found Morbius in the kitchen with Dr. Connors, his wife Martha, and their son Billy. Morbius had injected something into Dr. Connors.

"What are you doing to my dad?" Billy said.

"Making him strong again," Morbius replied.

"Leave them alone!" Spider-Man said. "They haven't done anything to you!"

"But their kind have. How is it that only I connect the dots? Isn't it obvious that Doctor Connors, the man with one arm, was the doctor who turned himself into Lizard? I shall leave you to deal with this."

Morbius broke through another window and flew away. Spider-Man ran over to Curt Connors, who was now lying on the floor. He was breathing heavily.

"Can you help him?" Billy asked.

"I want to," Spider-Man said. "We need to cure him."

"The cure!" Connors said between breaths.

"Where's the cure?" Spider-Man asked.

"He keeps it in a vault in the closet," Marta explained.

"What's the combination?"

"Uh... seven, three, twelve."

"Stay away!" Curt said.

Spider-Man held down the doctor who was transforming into a reptilian creature.

"Go get it! I'll hold him down."

"Come with me, Billy," Martha said.

Martha and Billy ran to the master bedroom. Martha went into the closet and used the combination to unlock the safe. It opened. She reached inside and grabbed one of the syringes containing the cure.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Lizard was fully formed. He tried shaking Spider-Man off of him.

"Stay with me, Doctor Connors."

"Get off!"

Lizard got up, and Spider-Man lost his hold on him. He hit the hero with his tail. Martha and Billy entered the kitchen.

"Martha," Lizard said.

"Here's the cure," Martha said.

Spider-Man shot out a web, and it attached to the syringe. As Martha let go, Spider-Man's web came off of his hand. The syringe fell on the floor, its glass broken. The fluid inside spilled on the floor.

"Why did that happen?" Spider-Man asked himself.

"Should I get another one?" Martha asked.

"No!" Lizard exclaimed. "Leave me alone!"

Spider-Man grabbed onto Lizard's head and tried pushing his face to the floor. It was working. He made sure that the fluid on the floor got into Lizard's mouth. Slowly, he changed back to a human.

"Oh God," Curt said.

"Are you okay, honey?" Martha asked.

"I'm fine now."

"What was that thing that did that to you?" Billy asked.

"You don't wanna know," Spider-Man said.

"The voice sounded familiar," Connors said. "Was that Michael Morbius? I've seen videos of his lectures."

"It was. But he is different now. I'll explain later. Right now, there is a lot going on in the city. Morbius released a few threats into the city. I need to get the Godstone out of John Jameson's neck so that he won't be Man-Wolf anymore. I need to stop Scorpion's insanity. And I need to stop Rhino from killing people, but his suit looks strong-"

"I've seen him on the news," Connors said. "I think it might be made of polymer. Morbius spoke highly about it in his lectures ten years ago. He thought it could make a good outfit for soldiers. I want to help you, Peter. I think I might be able to come up with something that could at least weaken Rhino."

"I don't want you to get hurt, Doctor Connors. With Morbius around, your family should go into hiding somewhere and lay low for a while."

"I will do that after I have helped you. You have saved my life twice. I owe you."


	18. Kraven vs ManWolf vs Rhino vs Scorpion

Kraven was face-to-face with Rhino. He backed away as Rhino swung his fists. He dodged each swing.

"Stand still!" Rhino exclaimed. "Isn't that what you hunters do?"

"I am a different type of hunter; I cannot stay in one place for too long."

"Neither can I!"

Rhino ran towards Kraven. His initial plan was to ram Kraven in the torso with his horn. However, this plan backfired. Kraven was able to jump onto Rhino's back, avoiding the horn. As a result, Rhino got his horn stuck in the back of a car. He tried pulling himself out of it. Kraven got off of him.

"A poor little animal is stuck," Kraven said. "I was hoping that this would not be too easy."

"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Kraven heard a scream. He looked around. It was coming from Scorpion across the street.

"Either he is a madman or he knows that he is about to meet his death," Kraven said, turning to Rhino. "I will give you a chance to get out of this while I deal with him."

"Come here and take me!" Scorpion said.

"I will accept your challenge."

Kraven ran up to Scorpion and was surprised by a mechanical pincer that hit him in the face, scarring him. He was so angered that he punched Scorpion in the face. The pincer made another attempt to assault Kraven. He dodged it. It tried again. He grabbed onto it. He summoned the strength to swing Scorpion in a complete circle three times before releasing him onto Rhino. Rhino was free from the car, but Scorpion's body made him fall over. He got up and hit Scorpion in the chest. This pushed Scorpion back. Scorpion ran up to Rhino and slapped him in the face.

"A wise guy, huh?" Rhino said, preparing to punch Scorpion.

Scorpion ducked, and Rhino's fist hit Kraven, who had been standing behind Scorpion with the intent to deliver a surprise attack, instead. Kraven fell to the ground. He looked up and saw that he was surrounded by the two villains. Then he heard a howl. The three of them looked on the sidewalk and saw Man-Wolf. He was running at them on all fours.

"More prey," Kraven said as he stood up.

Citizens all around were frightened by this monster mash. The three villains stood far apart from each other. Man-Wolf ran to Rhino. He headbutt him in the chest, injuring himself. It was clear that he wanted revenge on Rhino for attacking him and capturing him. Scorpion hit Rhino's scarred face with his pincer.

"Leave him alone! He's valuable to me."

"Friend of yours?" Rhino asked.

"No! His father will pay me big bucks to cure him."

"Haven't you robbed a bank yet?"

"Yes. But I want more. More!"

"You're crazy!"

Rhino hit Scorpion's tail with his horn. He then picked up Man-Wolf and threw him to the side.

"Father," Man-Wolf muttered, lying on the ground next to Kraven.

"You will have no family after I'm through with you," Kraven said before body-slamming Man-Wolf.

Man-Wolf got up and defended himself. He clawed through Kraven's outfit of pelts. Scratches with blood became visible.

"Die!"

"I've killed these beasts and I can kill you!"

"No! Father... Dad. Dad!"

"Where are you going?" Kraven asked.

"Dad!"

Man-Wolf started running away from the area. Police officers arrived. They tried shooting at Man-Wolf. One bullet hit Man-wolf in the left leg. He escaped. Another bullet skidded across the skin of the right side of Kraven's neck. He tried dodging more bullets. Kraven looked at Rhino and Scorpion.

"You two will be easy to find," Kraven said. "I will follow this Man-Wolf and kill him before any of these amateurs get the chance!"


	19. Assurance

Dr. Curt Connors was hard at work creating a substance that could potentially help Spider-Man in his fight against one of the villains. Meanwhile, Peter Parker took off his mask.

"Can I use your phone?" Peter asked.

"Go ahead," Curt replied.

Peter dialed the phone number for Aunt May's house. After one ring, Aunt May answered.

"Hello?" May said

"Aunt May! It's me."

"Peter! Where in heavens have you gone. We have been so worried about you."

"A couple of villains captured Man-Wolf and then they captured me. They set me free this morning and want me to face everyone who is attacking the city."

"We've seen them on the news. They look dangerous. Hang on... Mary Jane says she wants to talk to you. I'm passing the phone to her."

"Peter?" Mary Jane said. "Are you okay?"

"I am now. I'm with Doctor Connors. He's making something that could help me defeat one of the criminals."

"There's so many of them."

"I was so close to saving John last night. But they let him go. He's still a wolf."

"I know. They are saying at the news that he appears to be heading to your work."

"My work?"

"The _Bugle_. He is being followed by Kraven the Hunter."

"That's not good. I have to stop everyone."

"Be careful. These people look very strong and threatening. Don't get yourself killed."

"I won't. I promise you. I'll see you later."

"I hope so."

Peter hung up. He walked over to Connors. He looked at what was in front of him. There were two cartridges. Connors was filling them with a strange, sticky-looking substance.

"What are those?" Peter asked.

"I guess you can say that these are man-made web-slingers. Don't touch the stuff I put inside. They burn. These are able to contain this new 'web'. I made these so that you can shoot this stuff at Rhino's suit. You will see what happens then."

"I need something to carry them in. I don't have pockets or a bag or anything."

"You can use my backpack," Billy said. "I've already emptied it. If you can't bring it back, that's okay. I can just get another one."

"Thanks, kid. And thank you, Doctor Connors. You guys will go into hiding, won't you?"

"We will," Martha said. "We will stay with some relatives. We'll just say that we wanted to have a little family visit."

"Great," Peter said. "Don't come back until you know for sure that the city is safe."

"I'll keep track of the news," Curt said. "Have you packed everything, honey?"

"I have."

"Then let's get in the car."

Peter put on his mask. The Connors family locked the doors and went outside to their car. They got inside and drove off.

"Good luck, Spider-Man!" Billy said as the vehicle got farther away from the house."

"Thanks! And thanks for the backpack!"

Spider-Man started swinging away. Throughout the city, he swung from building to building. He could see the damages caused by the criminals down below.

_Where should I go first?_ he wondered. _Should__ I stop Jameson first? Or should I take down one of the others?_

It seemed that he was at an impasse. He was not sure how long it would take to complete each task. Trying to fulfill one task could prevent progress in completing another.

_John could be killed by Kraven. I don't want that to happen. To the _Bugle_ it is, then._

Spider-Man set his course for the Flatiron Building. He had to get there as quickly as possible.


	20. Father and Son

Robbie Robertson gazed out through the window of the Flatiron Building. He could see the damages caused by the villains.

"There is so much destruction going on in this city," he said. "I have never seen anything like it. Where's Spider-Man when we need him?"

"We don't need him," J. Jonah Jameson said. "He is just as dangerous as they are. That menace would be better off staying out of this."

Robertson walked up to Jameson.

"When are you gonna get it through your thick skull that he is not a menace?"

"Did you just say I have a thick skull?"

"Enlighten me, Jameson. Why do you hate Spider-Man so much?"

"It's personal."

"How?"

"I can't tell you just yet. There are wheels in motion. In either case, I would rather be in the presence of one of these other freaks."

Jameson wanted to swallow those words when he heard something crashing through the door to the workplace. He beheld the sight of Man-Wolf. Workers started scrambling. Man-Wolf examined each one of them as he ran away. Then he ran up to J. Jonah Jameson.

"Dad," he said.

"Son?" his father replied. "John, what happened to you?"

"I was desperate. I wanted to win Mary Jane's heart. My plan backfired. Now, I think the only way for me to win her back is to kill Peter Parker. Where is he?"

"Where is Parker!" his father asked, looking around the office.

"He didn't show up today," Betty answered.

"What? That slacker thinks that he can sleep in and take a day off without my permission? I'll kill him!"

"No," Man-Wolf said. "_I'll_ kill him."

"I know how upset you are, son," his father whispered. "I'm just not sure how I feel about you murdering someone."

"I am in a different form. It wouldn't count as your human son committing murder. It would be like an entirely different person did it. I need Peter's address."

"I have it. I just-"

"Please. Ill do anything. I can look for Spider-Man and kill him for you. You would enjoy that, wouldn't you? Haven't you always hated him?"

"Peter Parker _is_ Spider-Man."

The whisper was only loud enough for Man-Wolf to hear. He thought it over, and it all made sense to him now. Spider-Man had always saved Mary Jane Watson because Spider-Man is Peter Parker, Mary Jane's boyfriend.

"Then I have your permission. After all, how can a monster compete with a hero? I must eliminate the competition. I must eliminate him."

"It is time for me to eliminate _you_," a voice said from behind.

Man-Wolf looked back and saw a familiar face standing in the doorway. It was that of Kraven the Hunter.

"Stay out of my way!" Man-Wolf demanded.

"Silence, beast! All of you here are lucky to witness one of my kills. Get your cameras ready, because you will have firsthand photos of Kraven the Hunter taking down a menace to the city of New York City. I can see the newspaper headlines right now: 'Kraven Does Saving'."

"That's a dumb headline," Man-Wolf said. "My - uh, this man - would never allow such a ridiculous headline like that."

"Actually, you would be surprised," Hoffman chimed in. "Have you ever _seen_ some of our headlines?"

Man-Wolf snarled at Hoffman. Kraven gave him an angry gaze.

"Okay. I can see my boss isn't the only person who wants me to shut up."

Man-Wolf and Kraven looked back at each other. They stared at each other for approximately five seconds. Then, they engaged in combat. Man-Wolf tried clawing at Kraven. Kraven dodged his claws. He pulled the wolf by the ears. Then, he kicked it in the chest. Man-Wolf clawed at Kraven's hands, causing him to let go. He then lowered his head and bit Kraven's legs. Kraven started to limp a bit. He tried walking away. Man-Wolf ran up to him.

"You are about to become old news, old man. This old man will make sure of that."

"Stop calling me an old man!" the editor of the _Daily Bugle_ said.

"Sorry."


	21. Return to the Bugle

Spider-Man reached the Flatiron Building. He could see a green figure climbing the wall. Closer inspection revealed that it was Scorpion.

"What are you doing here?" Spider-Man asked.

"Protecting what is mine so that I can gain a profit."

"You should never have agreed to do what Jameson hired you to do. You should have stayed away from Morbius."

"Why? I feel more powerful than ever before."

"You are unstable!"

"So. It is just a small price to pay in exchange for this new identity."

"This is not who you are supposed to be. Don't you enjoy helping people with your investigations?"

"Are you kidding? I only did it for the money."

Scorpion penetrated a window with his pincer and entered the building. He was in the headquarters of the _Daily Bugle_. He could see Man-Wolf and Kraven. They both stared at Scorpion, and so did the staff. Hoffman was frightened out of his mind. He held up a newspaper in front of him.

"Here! Take what you want! Read the horoscope! It says something good about Scorpios! It says you shall have great fortune today!"

"It appears that I have accomplished that for the most part," Scorpion replied.

Scorpion ran up to Kraven and pushed him down. He struck him in the left leg with his pincer.

"Ow!" Kraven said.

"I have to hand it to you. I am surprised that you can take so much pain. It's too bad that the hunter is about to become the hunted."

Just as Scorpion was about to slit Kraven's throat with his pincer, Morbius few through the open window and grabbed Kraven, flying him out of the building. Scorpion was confused. He walked over to Man-Wolf and pushed him down with his pincer.

"Leave him alone!" J. Jonah Jameson said.

"I won't kill him. I promise you. I just want more power."

Scorpion started cutting off a layer of skin from Man-Wolf's neck. He could see the Godstone surrounded by blood. He picked it up with his pincer and stared at it. He tried getting it close to his neck, but his action was interrupted. A substance was squirted onto the stone from a few feet away. Everybody looked and saw Spider-Man with his new items.

"Spider-Man!" Betty said.

"I guess it works on more things than polymer," Spider-Man said.

"No!" Scorpion screamed as the substance burned the Godstone, destroying it for good. "I'll kill you!"

Scorpion, in his rage, ran towards Spider-Man. Spider-Man moved out of the way. Scorpion did not stop, however. He fell out of the open window. Spider-Man looked out and tried shooting his web at him in an attempt to bring him back up.

"Why isn't this working?"

By the time he was able to shoot anything, Scorpion had already hit the ground. Spider-Man looked at Man-Wolf. He was turning back into the human John Jameson. He was bleeding from his neck.

"Betty!" J. Jonah Jameson said. "Call an ambulance!"

"I can take him to a hospital," Spider-Man said.

"Stay away from my son!"

Betty wrapped some tissues around John's neck. Spider-Man picked up John and started swinging out of the building with him.

"He'll save him, Jonah," Robertson said. "You have to trust him with your son's life."


	22. Kraven Meets Morbius

Morbius brought Kraven to a rooftop a few blocks away. He set him down. Kraven eventually managed to get up. He looked at the cloaked figure.

"Who are you?" Kraven asked.

"I am Morbius, the living vampire," Morbius replied.

"Vampire?"

"Yes."

Without thinking, Kraven took a swing at Morbius. He punched him in the head and uncovered his face. The sunlight started to burn Morbius' face. He ran a few feet away from Kraven and wrapped his head again.

"So, you truly are what you say that you are," Kraven said.

"I am!" Morbius said. "Why did you attack me! I saved you from certain death!"

"Why did you save me in the first place?"

"I have been watching you. Your strength. It's unnatural. How were you able to obtain it?"

"That is a secret."

"I must unlock all secrets if I am to achieve my goal. I have researched for ten years, trying to find ways to cure myself from this curse!"

"One would wonder why you would even want to cure yourself. Have you ever tried uniting with some of your own kind?"

"No. That is because I do not want to be one of them."

"Vampires seem very powerful. If you were a part of a team, you could be unstoppable. And if you found the source of my strength, you could become more powerful than those who oppose your kind."

"What is your source!"

"Her name is Calypso. She is a voodoo priestess. She can usually be found a few blocks that way whenever she is in this town. I met her when I arrived here."

"Where is she now?"

"I am not sure. She said that she was going on a trip, and I did not ask where because it was none of my business. You will just have to wait."

"Yes. I will wait. But not in my mansion. My lair will probably be revealed to the world now. I shall lurk in the shadows of the city, waiting for the time when I can find that woman and see if I can be cured."

"Or become more powerful. If you become stronger, you shall be interesting game for me."

"Unless you are dead by then."

Kraven felt insulted. He tried grabbing Morbius, but he already flew away. Kraven then turned his sights to one of the other targets.


	23. Patient Delivery

Spider-Man made it to the nearest hospital. He knocked on a window. A nurse opened it. He brought John Jameson inside.

"Spider-Man?" the nurse said. "What are you doing here?"

"This man needs medical attention," Spider-Man explained. "Get him a doctor. Now!"

"Right away!"

The nurse ran out of the room. Spider-Man set John down on a bed. He was exhaling.

"Parker," he said.

"What?"

"Peter... I know it's you. You are Spider-Man."

"What makes you think that?"

"My dad... He knows."

"How?"

"Come closer... I want to..."

At that moment, John went silent and closed his eyes.

"John?"

Spider-Man put his head to his wrist. There was still a pulse.

"What happened?"

Spider-Man turned around and saw a doctor.

"He was losing a lot of blood. I think he might have passed out. He still has a pulse."

"We can take it from here. I believe that you have a city to save at the moment."

"Right. Take good care of him. That's John Jameson."

"I know. Good luck, Spider-Man."

Spider-Man exited through the window and swung away. He wondered what John was going to say.

_Was he going to say that he wants to kill me?_ he wondered. _And his dad. How does J. Jonah Jameson know my identity? Why hasn't he outed me yet? What is he planning to do?_

All of these questions burned in Spider-Man's mind. He could not focus on them at the moment, however. He had to stop Rhino from wreaking more havoc.


	24. Removing the Hide

Minutes later, Spider-Man found Rhino running down a street, smashing cars and punching buildings. Spider-Man got out the devices that Doctor Connors had created.

"You got some new toys, Spider-Man?" Rhino asked.

"As a matter of fact, I did. Do you wanna play?"

"I do. I must warn you, though, that I squish spiders whenever I see them. Tell me, what do you do when you see rhinos?"

"This."

Spider-Man pulled the triggers. Rhino started running towards him. The substance that Connors had given him was getting all over Rhino's suit. Some of it even got on his face, burning it. This was not Spider-Man's intention. It was an accident.

"AH!" Rhino screamed. "What are you doing to me!"

Rhino tried to continue running, but he slipped in some of the puddles created by drips of the liquid. He tried getting up. He was crouching when he looked at himself. The substance was melting his suit. He would no longer have the abilities that the suit granted him.

"Are you done with your thug life?"

"Are you kidding? I still had some strength before that vampire did what he did to me. I can still crush you!"

As he got closer to Spider-Man, a man jumped onto Sytsevich from above. It was none other than Kraven the Hunter. His arms were wrapped around Sytsevich's neck.

"Stop!" Spider-Man said.

"Why should I stop?" Kraven said. "If anything, I am making your job easier just as you made mine just now. I have to kill _something_. Scorpion has disappeared."

"He has?"

"Yes. If I were you, I would have made sure that he was dead."

"I wouldn't if I were you."

Spider-Man pulled the triggers again. He was out of the substance; it had all been used on Rhino. Spider-Man tried shooting his own webs. Nothing was coming out at the moment. He kept trying until it was too late. Sytsevich stopped breathing. Kraven was indeed a hunter.

"You killed him!" Spider-Man said.

"I am a hunter. What did you expect?"

Bullets were fired in Kraven's direction. He looked and saw police officers.

"You are under arrest for murder!"

"I was saving the city!"

"He was no longer a threat after Spider-Man took care of him. What you did was cold-blooded."

Kraven ran past Spider-Man. The hero tried trapping him with webs, but nothing came out. The police officers ran after him, but they could not catch up. Kraven escaped.


	25. Temporary Comfort

May and Mary Jane watched the news broadcast concerning the events that took place that day.

_"Police officers report that Sytsevich was strangled to death by Kraven the Hunter after Spider-Man had melted his suit away using an unknown substance. Employees of the _Daily Bugle_ say that Kraven was in their workplace prior to this and that he was taken outside of the building by a flying, cloaked figure who has yet to be identified. They have also reported seeing Man-Wolf turn into a human. The employees said that they could not identify the man and that he ran away. Scorpion also appeared in the workplace and ended up falling out of a window. He has, as of now, not been found. Some believe it is possible that he is still alive. There have also been reports that Spider-Man brought John Jameson, son of _Bugle_ editor Jeremiah Jonah Jameson, to a hospital. He has a cut on his neck. A doctor believes that he may have been attacked b_y _one of the men who terrorized the city. The police have made it their top priority to try to track down Kraven and Scorpion so that they can prevent them from harming more civilians and causing more destruction in New York City."_

"Three of them got away," Mary Jane said.

"I have a bad feeling," May said. "Those three may not stop anytime soon. Something has to be done about them. They need professional help."

The two of them heard a knock on the door. They walked over to it and opened it.

"Peter!" May said, hugging her nephew.

"You have saved the day once again," Mary Jane said before kissing him.

"I've saved the day," Peter said. "But I'm not sure about future days. I feel like the city has only been partly saved."

"Nevertheless, you should be proud, Peter," May said. "Even if a few criminals escaped, what happens to them will happen. If they cause any more harm, they will be stopped by the powers that be."

"Right," Peter said. "Powers."

He did not tell them about the instances in which he was unable to access his powers. He did not want them to worry about them now that they seemed to believe that he was safe.

"Why don't I make us something to eat," May said. "It's been a long day for you, I'm sure. I think that you deserve a hero's meal."

"Thanks Aunt May."


	26. Visit

The next morning, Peter went to visit John Jameson in the hospital. Mary Jane had said that she would meet him there. He entered the room and saw John lying down in his bed, unconscious. He was not alone, however; J. Jonah Jameson and his wife were watching their son.

"How is he?" Peter asked.

J. Jonah Jameson was silent. It was his wife, the teary-eyed Joan, who spoke.

"They say that he is in a coma. They are hoping that he will wake up. They just don't know when. They are not sure how it happened. They can't pin down a firm explanation."

At that moment, Mary Jane walked into the room. The Jamesons stared at her.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Jameson," she said.

"It's been a while," Joan said. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see if John was okay."

"We've already explained it to Peter. Why don't you two leave and he can explain it to you on your way out."

"I just want you to know," Mary Jane began, "that I am sorry about what I did. Your son just wasn't the man I wanted to marry."

"Well, you couldn't have figured that out _long before_ the day of the wedding? Do you have any idea how much you embarrassed my son?"

Mary Jane looked like she wanted to cry. She ran out of the room. Peter watched as she left. Then he looked back at the Jamesons. His boss walked up to him.

"Peter," he began, "you're fired."

"What?"

"You heard me. You're fired."

"May I ask why?"

"Because you didn't show up to work yesterday. You're on the staff. You're supposed to show up and do your job to set an example for the other people."

"Are you sure that that is the real reason?"

"There are multiple reasons. I think you already know one from the way my wife reacted just now."

"I think I know another."

"Don't even show up to work today."

"Don't worry. I won't. I just want you to know that I really do care about your son. I wish that there was something I could do to wake him up. If I could, I would."

"But you can't. Therefore, you won't. Now get out of my sight."

Peter left the room. He found Mary Jane in the waiting room. She was crying.

"Don't beat yourself up," Peter said.

"I should have done it earlier," Mary Jane said. "You know, picked you over him. I should never have gotten engaged with him in the first place. I knew that there might have been a chance between you and me, but I still went along with the engagement."

The two of them waited for a few minutes before leaving.


	27. A New Job

J. Jonah Jameson went to his office in the Flatiron Building when the visit was over. He sat down and looked at a picture of his son in an astronaut suit.

"I will get revenge for you."

"Mr. Jameson," Betty buzzed in, "Mr. Gargan is here to see you."

"Send him in."

Mac Gargan entered Jameson's office and closed the door.

"Hello, Mr. Jameson."

"Hey Mac. It looks like you don't have to keep looking for my son anymore. They found him. He's in a coma in the hospital right now."

"That's awful."

"Tell me about it. However, there is one job that you could still do."

"What kind of job?"

J. Jonah Jameson reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a jar. Within the jar was a black, sticky organism.

"Do you know what this is?"

"It looks familiar."

"This is part of that creature from space that Spider-Man fought a few years ago. From another person's research, I know that it can make its host want to do bad things. It may also make the host stronger. I want you to break into Peter Parker's house. He is Spider-Man. Look for his costume and put this on there. Then, take pictures of him doing bad things. That will take down his reputation. And when it seems like his life can't be any worse, we will reveal his identity to the world. Will you do it?"

"I will."

Mac Gargan took the jar from Jameson's hands. He exited the office and walked to the elevator. When he was on the bottom floor, he exited the building and entered his car. He drove all the way to his apartment. Once inside, he put on his Scorpion suit. Then, he looked at the jar.

"Stronger, huh? It may make me more bad, but it's a small price to pay."

He took the lid off of the jar and stuck his hand in it. The symbiote expanded as it wrapped around his hand. It was spreading all over his suit. He now had a black Scorpion suit. There was now a white spider symbol on his torso. The symbiote made it appear that he had large, white eyes. Scorpion extended his tongue.

"Scorpion has some venom now!"


	28. Good News and Bad News

That night, Peter Parker was lying in bed at his house. He tried shooting webs. The more he tried, the more difficult it became to achieve this. He had not told Mary Jane that he had lost his job. Since she was crying when he last saw her, he did not want to make her feel more sad than she needed to be. Still, though, he felt that he had to be honest. He picked up the phone and dialed her number.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey, Mary Jane. It's Peter."

"Hey, Pete. I'm so glad that you called. I was actually going to call you right now."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I just got a call. I'm going to act in a play again!"

"Wow! This is great news."

"Yeah. I can't believe it. I'm going to be an actress again. The play is only for a few nights, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to find other opportunities. I don't want to jinx anything, though. I feel so happy now. Nothing can bring me down."

"That's great to hear."

"Oh! They're calling me right now. I'll talk to you later. Bye!"

"Bye. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Peter hung up the phone.

_How could I tell her when she was that happy? How could I tell her that I had lost my job and that I was losing my powers? She was too happy. I couldn't crash down on her world. Maybe the time will come when I can tell her. I hope that the time will come when I can be Spider-Man again. Because without powers, I have no responsibility._


End file.
